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Zebra

June 28, 2012

A Chapman’s zebra foal, only a few weeks old, stays near its mother while taking in the surroundings of its new home at Cotswold Wildlife Park in Oxfordshire.The as yet unnamed foal was born on 5th June to twelve year old first-time mother Sarah. As one of the oldest and lowest ranking females in the group, Sarah hadn’t previously shown any signs of interest in mating with Dampy, the foal’s father, so it was to some surprise when she became pregnant. Usually dominant females within the group give birth, so the foal is an unexpected delightful addition to the herd. This new arrival marks the Park’s forty- fifth zebra birth.

Jamie Craig, Curator of Cotswold Park said, “We are always delighted with any birth at the Park but to arrive at work to the sight of a new born foal ambling around the zebra and rhino paddock was especially satisfying – watching the youngster settling in with the herd and familiarizing itself with the rhino under the watchful eye of its mother was a real treat for the visitors on the day. We look forward to watching it develop, hopefully with slightly more “African” weather!”

The new foal shares its large paddock not only with its family of Chapman’s zebras (Equus burchellii chapmanni) but with three white rhinos. Both fascinating species have been at the Park for over thirty years.

June 22, 2012

And her name is Savanna! On May 23, the first female Grevy's Zebra baby was born at Ohio's Cincinnati Zoo. Within the first 17 minutes of birth, she was standing and slowly began walking. She successfully nursed within the first hour and has spent the last few weeks bonding with her mom and getting to know the keepers behind the scenes.

The name Savanna was suggested by Twitter follower @Fusion_AmyBaker and selected via vote by the zoo's Facebook fans, She's been going out in the zebra yard daily, and is curious, but is never far from mom, as seen in the video below.

March 02, 2012

The UK's Paignton Zoo is celebrating its first zebra birth in a decade when a new baby Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra was born in the early morning on February 28 to six-year-old mom Goma. Senior Head Keeper of Mammals Matthew Webb said: “We had to help him get to his feet, but after that he started to suckle well.” The as-of-yet unnamed foal is thought to be a male.

“This is great news," said Paignton Zoo Director of Operations and Curator of Mammals Neil Bemment said. "We need more foals to increase the zoo population and, as there is presently a lack of available males in the European Endangered species Program, he will certainly have a future part to play in saving his species.”

A single foal is born after a gestation of 11.5 months (350 days). Some populations are protected in national parks. There is a European Endangered species Program (EEP) for this zebra managed by Marwell Zoo.

December 19, 2011

Trinity, the 10-year-old Grevy's Zebra at Great Plains Zoo in South Dakota gave birth to a male foal weighing 80 pounds (36.28 kg). After a 13-month gestation, zebras give birth to a single foal. The foal typically weighs between 50 and 80 pounds. The Zoo’s animal care staff monitored the new family through the video camera system.

“Grevy’s Zebras are facing extinction, so this is a very important birth, not only for the Zoo, but for the survival of the entire Grevy’s Zebra population,” said Elizabeth A. Whealy, President and CEO of the Great Plains Zoo. “Our Zoo plays a crucial role in maintaining the captive breeding population.”

Just like human newborns, the foal will spend much of his time sleeping, eating and settling in with his mother. He and his mother can be seen in the arena of the Hoofstock winter viewing building. This is the second foal born at the Zoo -- in September, the Zoo’s other 10-year-old Grevy’s named Demani also gave birth to a male weighing 100 pounds. That foal is thriving. The Zoo plans to ask the public for help in naming the pair of zebra foals in the new year.

September 12, 2011

The Great Plains Zoo in Sioux Falls, South Dakota has a new Grevy's Zebra baby born over Labor Day weekend to mother Demani.

"It's a healthy baby boy. He's pretty cute," said Allison Douglass, area supervisor at the Zoo.

The newborn has no name yet and is not seeing visitors. He's secluded in a birthing stall with his mom.He weighs 100 pounds and his mother close to 1,000. Douglass said everything about the delivery was normal. Labor lasted a half-hour. The foal came out of the birth canal front feet first and then the head. He was up and moving around in 30 minutes and nursing within an hour.

If any birth is routine, then the dramatic element in Demani's delivery is her son's place in the world. He is a Grevy's zebra, a species that scientists say is endangered. Africa had 15,000 Grevy's zebras in the late 1970s. The population now is one-sixth that, about 2,500 in the wild, after 30 years of disturbance from people and competition from domestic grazing animals.

August 29, 2011

This striking zebra foal was born at South Australia’s Monarto Zoo on August 7 in the early hours of the morning. It’s a little girl and her keepers say they are pleased with her progress. She is nursing well, looking strong and has lots of confidence.

On August 7, in the early hours of the morning, the foal’s mum, Kenya, gave birth in the night yard with plenty of company -- she was surrounded by the rest of the dazzle (a collective noun for zebras). This is Kenya’s second foal.

She has quickly become a favorite at Monarto Zoo, and she needs a name! All who wish to make a name suggestion can enter it by clicking HERE.

June 08, 2011

This female Grevy's Zebra named Lisa was just born at California's B Bryan Preserve on June 2, 2011. Foals can walk just 20 minutes after they are born, which is an important survival adaptation for this migrating species. Their coats sport dazzling narrow stripes that wrap around in a concentric pattern and are bisected by a black stripe running down the spine.

Lisa is enjoying some solitary bonding time with her mother Sarah, but will join the rest of the 9 mares living on the preserve in a few weeks. Grevy’s are social animals. The basic social unit is comprised of a female mare with one or two young. However, mixed groups of 100 to 200, sometimes up to 450 zebras, are not uncommon during migration and around water points in the dry season.

Social grooming plays a large role in social bonding. They communicate using facial expressions and sounds, and groom each other by biting and nibbling each other to scratch and remove loose hairs.

Photo Credit: B Bryan Preserve

The Grevy’s zebra is the largest, wildest and most untamable of the three zebra species remaining in Africa. This beauty is one of several critically endangered Grevy’s Zebras that the preserve is trying to breed in captivity to sustain the species. There are less than 2,000 of these beautiful zebra species left in the world, mostly restricted to restricted to Ethiopia and northern Kenya.

B Bryan Preserve, located in Point Arena on the coast of Northern California, is committed to the breeding and conservation of the critically endangered Grevy's zebra, endangered Mountain Zebra and Kudu, Roan and Sable Antelope.

April 28, 2011

Detroit Zoo welcomed a brown and white bundle of joy to its fold on April 17th. After a 13 month gestation period, Jimmy the Grevy's Zebra foal stumbled onto the scene and was up on his feet in just a few hours. Wild Grevy's Zebras must quickly learn to stand and run to escape the potential threat of predators. This endangered East African species is declining in numbers due to habitat loss and competition with livestock.

March 25, 2011

A male Grevy’s Zebra was born at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens on Saturday, February 26. Eclipse, the 17-year-old mother of the foal, came to the Jacksonville Zoo from White Oak Conservation Center, where she was bred in January 2010. Officials from White Oak advised that the father of the foal is an unnamed resident stallion born in 1999. This is Eclipse’s sixth birth. The foal weighed 108 pounds and stood at three and a half feet tall at the shoulders at birth. Guests can see the foal frolicking after his mother in the Zoo’s Plains of East Africa exhibit. Naming rights will be auctioned off at the Zoo’s annual ExZOOberation evening fundraiser on April 16, 2011.

Photo credits: John Reed Photography

Unlike other types of Zebras, Grevy’s Zebras face a dire extinction crisis. More than 15,000 of these animals roamed the savannas of Africa in the 1970s, but scientists estimate only 2,200 remain in the wild today. The Zoo supports conservation efforts to save the Grevy’s zebra, including participation in a Species Survival Plan (SSP) through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). This SSP allows the Zoo to work with other AZA-accredited organizations to help ensure the survivability of the Grevy’s Zebra for future generations.